Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of Real Talk with Jack Tracy. 

I'm happy to be podcasting from beautiful South Bay California and looking out of my office window I see sheets of rain, I mean, liquid sunshine, falling all over Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach and Manhattan Beach. But, as we know, It Never Rains in Southern California! So I am certain the real Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow. 

Ok. Well since our last show we have shifted directions slightly form music and today our topic is:
Affirmative Action Banned by The United States Supreme Court. 

Now, some of you might remember that last year in 2023 a case came before the Supreme Court in which, Harvard University was being sued by a group called Students For Fair Admissions over descriminary practices against Asian Americans. The Supreme Court ruled that Harvard did practice discrimination and ruled that Affirmative Action in College admissions is unconstitutional. 

The Court's decision overruled some important cases like California vs Bakke and Grutter vs Bollinger, which have for a long time have helped and aided disadvantaged black students in this country to attend some of the more prestigious colleges and universities. I was also among those minority students of few means who was aided by federal dollars to go to school. 

So I want to know, What Is The Road Ahead? for aspiring young black students today and how will they find entrance into some of the better schools if there is little or no Financial Aid? 

I'm concerned for disadvantaged and minority children and students some even in my own family, that If they choose higher education that they can look forward to many of the same opportunities that I had. 

So I'm really happy today to have with me on the show a man who will give us his well- informed opinion and some insight on this issue, Kenneth Cooper a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist and fellow Washington University St Louis alum. 

Joining me on the program today is Nate LaPointe, the tremendously talented, lead singer and lead guitarist of Cubensis, the popular Grateful Dead tribute band, or as Nate insists, Grateful Dead experience because there is no mimicking here. These guys are the real deal.  Now, that band includes, Craig Marshall, guitar, Brad Rhodes and  Ed Fletcher on drums, Larry Ryan bass, and Tom Ryan on keys.  

Nate grew up learning backstage from some of the best musicians can play about any style of music – and his degree in Jazz guitar lead him to music popularity in rock, pop, blues bluegrass and soul and country.

He worked with soul legend Bobby Womack for 10 years, and with BB King and also Vince Welnick keyboardist for the Dead. 

As we record, Nate is in the South Bay to record some music to celebrate the August 1st birthday of the legendary Jerry Garcia.

He also has a Friday night live show that streams on Facebook. Check him on  Facebook/ Nate Lapointe.

www.NateLapointe.com

It is Election Day and and getting my vote for joining me on the program is the legendary Rock guitarist, Mitch Perry.  Mitch has a lot to say about his new album Music Box and his Band, MPG (Mitch Perry Group). 
Featuring new classic rock songs like, Valentine, Believe, and seven others, the album is powered by a collection of great artists including vocalist Keith England, bassist Dan McNay, drummer Tal Bergman, keyboardist Dave Shultz, with Shelly Bonet and Kara Turner also on vocals. 
The album is Music Box and it gets my Presidential Seal of Approval.
Mitchperry.com